Comic book brilliantly explains copyright for documentary filmmakers

The Duke Center for the Public Domain has released a knockout comic book about fair use and filmmaking. "Bound By Law" riffs expertly on classic comic styles, from the Crypt Keeper to Mad Magazine, superheros to Understanding Comics, and lays out a sparkling, witty, moving and informative story about how the eroded public domain has made documentary filmmaking into a minefield. Jamie Boyle, one of the project's instigators, told me this: "It's ironic that many of the groups working on policy issues that involve the arts, don't actually use the arts to make their point. We are working on the effect of IP on the arts -- our first project is on documentary film. We want to talk to artists, reach a wider audience, actually show the problems that filmmakers face. Doing a comic seemed the best way to go -- plus it was really fun."

The comic will be released under a Creative Commons license (natch) and sold online -- I'll post again once it's on sale so you can get your copy!
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